Description

Mt. Lemmon in the early 1980s was full of potential for new routes. For the most part, the ethic for first ascents was still from the ground up, but somewhat newly invented Fire rubber, RPs, and friends – and a willingness to fall, sometimes a long way – allowed us to be a little more aggressive than in years past. The epitome of climbing, for a number of us locals of that era, was launching up a virgin face broken by incipient weaknesses, with little idea of the outcome, but faith that sooner or later some pro would appear – and if not, at least something to drill from. Pegasus, for me, was one of those climbs; it’s perhaps my favorite FA at Windy Point. And, yeah, I guess RR and I got carried away with the name.

From the belay ledge, trend left and up to the right end of a small roof, climb past two bolts, and gain a short finger crack above a bulge. Superb and imaginative climbing clears the crack and gains easier, but spicy, face climbing that leads more or less directly to the top. There’s a great picture of Harrison Decker on the crux of Pegasus in Climbing No. 91 (taken by John Sherman, who did the 2nd ascent).

I’m told that you can link up Feelin’ Fertile with Pegasus for an uberpitch of classic Lemmon face.

Location

Pegasus climbs the steep face to the right of the 2nd pitch of Mean Mistreater, and to the left of the wide crack on Face It. Approach by third classing up ledges to an adequate belay ledge (gear) down and right of the longish belay ledge atop the first pitch of Mean Mistreater.